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  Finally she nodded, but uncertainty clouded her eyes. “I've never done the long-distance thing before.”

  “Neither have I,” he said. “But I think you're worth it.”

  At dinner, they had both disclosed their home cities during the routine-small-talk portion of the date. He already knew she lived in Ann Arbor, and when his turn came to tell her where he lived, he had told the truth—Madison Heights—before he could remember that Theo had an apartment ten minutes away from Darcy's house. He would have to remember to explain that away when the time came.

  He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. It might take all his willpower, but he wasn't going to start something more. Darcy's fingers tightened as she gripped his shoulders. When he pulled back, she sighed, but she accepted his will. Malcolm nearly crumbled under the weight of the trust she placed in him. He had to find another way into Snyder's company.

  Taking her key, he unlocked her door and opened it for her. “Sleep well, Darcy. Come see me after your breakfast meeting and I'll help you get ready for the panel discussion.”

  A light blush crept up her neck, and he knew she was imagining the eight lashes he planned to deliver in the morning. “Thank you, Theo. I had a nice time tonight.”

  He listened until he heard the deadbolt engage. Only then did he head down the hall toward his room. Light, happy feelings made him stand a little straighter and put a little bounce in his walk. Visions of her smile and the way her eyes sparkled appeared in his head. He loved the way she focused exclusively on him, and not just when he had topped her.

  A shadow in the corner of his eye jerked him from thoughts of Darcy. Just beyond his room, the latch on the heavy fire door to the stairwell clicked. Springing into action, he sprinted the remainder of the distance and burst through the door. The mysterious man who had made Darcy uncomfortable at dinner cowered against the wall, his eyes wide with shock.

  In two moves, Malcolm had the man's face pressed against the wall. He held him there with strategic pressure placed on the arm he'd twisted behind the man's back. The harsh sounds of labored breath echoed down the empty flights of stairs, returning to Malcolm's ears with the exact amount of fear he liked to hear from a suspect.

  “You have ten seconds to convince me to not throw you down the stairs and make it look like an accident.”

  The man's dark eyes searched for help, but the fluorescent lights revealed nothing. Malcolm twisted the man's arm a little more. The man grimaced and grunted. “Our employer is a very wealthy and influential man. Ms. Markovich has some rather unique needs, which I think you might be aware of, and he just wanted to make sure she was taken care of.”

  Snyder had sent the man to make sure Darcy had a Dom to dish out the punishment she craved. Fury clouded Malcolm's vision. This man had no feelings for Darcy. A submissive as sensitive as she needed an emotional connection for any kind of whipping to be effective. Malcolm had never been the kind of man who dominated women for kicks. This meant something to him. This meant something to Darcy.

  Malcolm fished in the man's back pocket for his wallet. Holding him with one arm and expertise that came from years of practice in subduing an opponent, Malcolm opened it up. A driver's license and credit cards listed him as Mickey Halter. Nothing in the wallet seemed false or out of place, but Malcolm would run a check on him anyway.

  He snarled near Halter's ear. “I'm going to say this once. You stay the fuck away from her. If she has a ‘need,’ then I'll be the one taking care of it. Tell your boss to back off. Her love life is none of his business.”

  “You're pissing off the wrong person, Theo Stevenson. I know who you are, and I know all about your tech business. Victor Snyder will make sure you never work again, and I'm not just talking about the state of Michigan. I'm talking the whole world.”

  Malcolm twisted harder. Halter yelped. “You're not in a position to make threats. Check out of the hotel and go home. If I see you again, you won't be able to walk away. Do you understand?”

  “Fine,” Mickey growled. “I'm out of here, but Snyder isn't done with you. He'll ruin you, Stevenson. That's a promise.”

  Malcolm released the man, who wasn't all that much smaller than him, and shoved him toward the stairs leading down. He watched Halter adjust his clothing and run his fingers through his hair.

  Halter pinned Malcolm with a hateful glare. “You will regret interfering in this.”

  The sounds of Halter's boots clomping down the stairs ricocheted from the walls. Malcolm listened, counting the steps until Mickey reached ground level. A door opened and closed. Malcolm remained still, listening for signs of Halter's return. Ten minutes later, nothing had happened.

  Malcolm headed to his room, located right next to the stairwell. He turned off the heater's fan and climbed under the covers fully dressed. He always slept lightly while on duty. Undercover assignments usually presented dangerous circumstances. This time the stakes were higher. Several times that night, he had to talk himself out of knocking on her door. He could protect her so much better if he was in the same room. But how would he explain his actions without blowing his cover?

  So he stayed in his own room and started awake every time he heard the smallest noise in the hall.

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  * * *

  Chapter Four

  The purpose of the breakfast had been to thank the presenters. It came with an exceptionally long-winded speech from the event chairperson. Darcy fidgeted in her seat and allowed that perhaps she felt that way because Theo and his brand-new flogger awaited her in his room.

  In the beginning, Scott had punished her with the flogger or the palm of his hand. Later, when he discovered how much she enjoyed the pain, he'd switched tactics. Usually he would deny her an orgasm, sometimes for hours and sometimes for the entire day. Theo had figured out her trigger rather quickly, but he did have a wealth of experience that neither she nor Scott had possessed when they had begun.

  Her back itched where Theo had struck her the morning before. Though all physical evidence had vanished, she remembered the exquisite feel of the tingling pain radiating across her back and down her body. And he planned to deliver eight hard strokes after he warmed her up. She hid the smile that blossomed on her lips because she didn't want to be asked about it.

  After an eternity had passed, the breakfast ended with a reminder to meet back in one hour for the panel discussion. Darcy had never participated in a panel discussion, and she had no idea what to talk about. She desperately hoped for inspiration or an audience that had a lot of questions.

  She headed straight for Theo's room, stopping only to brush her teeth. When he had turned down her offer the night before, she had been stunned until she realized his true intention. Though she would have accepted one night with him, Darcy wasn't the kind of woman who had casual sex. She'd only slept with two men, and both had been long-term relationships.

  Theo didn't see her as a casual weekend fling. He wanted more, and that made her feel almost giddy inside. She had to close her eyes and breathe through a moment of panic. What had she done to deserve such a wonderful man? Scott had been a dream, the love of her life. She had never expected to meet anyone else.

  She knocked on his door. He answered with a distracted smile and a cell phone pressed to his ear. With a jerk of his head, he motioned her inside.

  “That's all you have? Okay. Let me know if anything else pops up.” He closed the door and secured the latch and the bolt.

  Darcy shivered because she knew her moment of bliss was imminent. She looked around his room, not finding anything that would reveal more about him. The room, a clone of hers, lacked clutter. His suitcase, already zipped, waited near the door for him to take when he left in a few hours. Keys and a pair of dark sunglasses sat neatly on the dresser next to the television.

  “Will do.” He pressed a button to end the call and set the phone next to his sunglasses before turning to face her.

  His stare penetrated the l
ayers of her clothing, and she felt her breasts swell in response. She shifted with a sudden case of nerves, and she almost bit her lip. “Good morning, Theo. I hope you slept well.”

  He shook his head in a tiny movement. Darcy wasn't sure if he meant it as an answer to her greeting or if another topic occupied his thoughts. Then she noticed the tiny smudges beneath his eyes.

  Reaching out, she rested her hands on his arms the way he had directed her to do the night before when they danced. She liked the surety of knowing he enjoyed when she touched him that way. “I hope you didn't lose sleep over me.”

  The corners of his mouth turned up in a small smile. “Though I can't seem to stop thinking about you, I also have trouble sleeping in hotel beds. It was a lethal combination.”

  She stepped forward, taking a chance because she wasn't sure whether or not he would approve of the action. Then she realized he hadn't touched her face, and she relaxed. “Theo, if you're not up to it, you don't have to—”

  Now his hand came up to cup the side of her head. His thumb hovered just above her brow, and his dark eyes penetrated to her soul. “I would never let you down like that.”

  Darcy dropped her gaze. He sounded too much like a friend doing a favor for another friend. Last night he had given her permission to change her expectations, and she had. She didn't think of him as a friend.

  “None of that, Darcy. Eyes on me.”

  He spoke in his Dom voice. The authority with which he infused those few words sent shivers down Darcy's spine. But his thumb hovered just above her brow, a promise unfulfilled. She lifted her eyes to meet his gaze.

  Several heartbeats passed as he looked deep into her eyes. “When I'm too tired to beat you, I will tell you. I won't compromise your safety for any reason. One night of poor sleep isn't enough to do me in. We're just getting to know one another. I understand that. However I will not countenance doubt. I knew last night when I made the promise that I wouldn't be sleeping well.”

  “I'm sorry, Sir.” Shame brought heat to her cheeks. She managed to not drop her gaze when she apologized. A thrill ran through her that he called her out on her insecurities. She needed this.

  “Safe words. Say them.”

  She licked her lower lip, an anticipatory gesture. “Red to stop. Yellow to slow down. Green if everything's okay.”

  He traced his thumb over her brow and caressed her lower lip. Her heart calmed immediately. The sense of anticipation didn't subside, but it no longer held her focus. “Where are we now, Darcy?”

  “Green, Sir.”

  He released his hold on her head and walked around to stand behind her. Every nerve in her body felt the electricity of his nearness. “Remove your shirt and bra.”

  She bit her lip for a second before she remembered his threat. She wanted him to stand in front of her. She wanted to see his face as he watched her undress. She wanted to know he found her attractive. What kind of man purposely blocked his view of a topless woman when he didn't have to?

  “Toss your clothes onto the bed and kneel.”

  The bed wasn't more than a foot away. She placed her shirt and bra nearby. Then she knelt, bending forward so he could access more of her skin, and clasped her wrists together behind her lower back. He pushed her hair so that it fell over her shoulders. She heard the telltale swish of leather.

  “I'm going to warm you up first. I'll tell you when to start counting.”

  While she could take what he planned to dish out without being warmed up, she recognized that he didn't know her limits yet. He needed to learn them in order to be effective with the whip.

  The first few flicks of the flogger told her it was the regular kind with flat leather falls. It had many uses, but it couldn't deliver the kind of pain that sent her directly to subspace. This one teased and tantalized, promised and prolonged.

  He wove a crisscross pattern over her upper back and shoulders. His precise aim meant none of the falls accidentally landed on her arms, though she felt the small stir of air that puffed from each stroke.

  Without warning, he increased pressure. The next stroke cracked against her skin. She sucked in a breath and wished for more.

  Theo came through. He retraced his path across her back with the more vigorous stroke. Warmth spread through her body, and the place inside her head that raced with worry and anxiety relaxed a little bit.

  “Begin counting.”

  Darcy wanted to protest. She could stay like this for an hour. He could administer this kind of beating to her thighs, stomach, breasts, and pussy. Oh yes, he could bring her to orgasm with just this one flogger on her clit. She shoved those thoughts away.

  The angle and velocity of his stroke changed. Fire raced through the place where the bulk of the falls had concentrated. Darcy gasped. “One.”

  She counted out all eight, and then the whip fell silent. Her pussy, trained to respond to the whip no matter why it fell, throbbed with hope.

  A dull thunk sounded to her right as Theo put the flogger on the dresser next to his phone. A cool breeze feathered across her skin, and she shivered.

  He appeared in front of her, grasped her chin, and studied her face. She peered into the fathomless pools of his deep brown eyes, and she recognized his concern. She also recognized the bulge in his jeans. Perhaps she could thank him after all. Without losing eye contact, she unclasped her hands and ran them up his thighs. “Sir, please let me thank you properly.”

  He traced her lower lip with his thumb and shook his head. “Not this time. I release you, Darcy. You have ten minutes to make it back down for your panel discussion. It's time to put your shirt back on. Can you wear a bra?”

  Oh hell yes. A bra would help her get all the mileage from this whipping she could. She nodded and stood. Theo managed to help her to her feet without looking at her breasts. She decided to call him on it. “Don't you like breasts?”

  He turned his back to her. “Love them. One day soon I will make you stand still as I stare at them and play with them, but that day isn't today. I'm a patient man. I'll wait. As I told you last night, I want to do this right. You're worth the wait.”

  She hoped to hell he wouldn't make her wait too much longer.

  The rest of the morning passed in a whirlwind. The panel discussion went smoothly. Every now and again, Darcy's eyes darted to the back corner of the room where Theo stood. He would flash an encouraging smile, the stripes on her back would tingle, and her confidence would automatically rise.

  That horrible man from the night before didn't make another appearance. Theo walked her to her car, tucked her business card in his wallet, and kissed her good-bye. He lived a little over an hour away from her, and she didn't know when she would see him next. But he promised to call, and she knew he wouldn't break his promise.

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  * * *

  Chapter Five

  “Darcy, check this out.”

  Three days had passed since her wondrously successful weekend. Theo had called her every single night. They talked about everything and nothing until well after midnight. Darcy wasn't sure if her giddiness came mostly from her developing relationship or from lack of sleep.

  Layla Hudson, a client who had been with her for a little more than two years, snapped her fingers in front of Darcy's face.

  Heat flamed in her cheeks. Darcy blinked away the images of Theo that danced in her mind. Layla's pretty oval face, surrounded by a halo of short golden hair, bobbed into focus. The clatter of construction and people calling orders to one another sharpened. “Sorry. I didn't hear you.”

  “I don't know. I haven't seen you so distracted before. It's kinda nice to see that you do have days where you aren't perfect.”

  Coming from anyone else, that kind of statement could have been considered catty. Since Layla didn't have a mean bone in her body, Darcy took it as the ribbing it was intended to be. Also, since Layla had been one of the few people who had given her the benefit of the doubt after Scott's disappearance, she
could pretty much say or do anything she wanted and Darcy wouldn't get upset.

  “I've stayed up a little too late the past few nights. I'll make sure I hit the sack early tonight.” She shuffled through the papers in the folder on the stainless steel cafeteria table in front of her. “I have the final contracts here. You should be able to have this rec center up and running by next month.”

  Workers and volunteers streamed through the large room that would very soon be a gym where inner-city kids could hang out after school. Sports programs with coaches would be offered here. In the next room, cabinets and shelves were being installed to hold all kinds of arts and crafts supplies. Areas for kids to do homework and study were located toward the front of the remodeled building. It all smelled fresh with new paint and new hope.

  Darcy had guided Layla through the entire grant process required to raise the funds to do the necessary repairs. Now they focused on finding money to pay qualified tutors and to recruit mentors. This kind of work made Darcy's heart swell with satisfaction. Making a difference in someone's life mattered to her.

  “I know that, you nut. Check this out.” She waved a piece of paper that looked suspiciously like a check. “I had dinner over at my aunt's house Monday. My cousin happened to be in town. I regaled him with news of the rec center. Instead of calling me a bleeding-heart liberal like he usually does, he got his friends to pool together a donation. Three thousand dollars. He delivered it to me this morning.”

  “That's wonderful.” Darcy laughed and hugged Layla. “Let's celebrate. You buy lunch.”

  Layla leaped to her feet. “Okay, but I pick the place. There's this new Italian deli downtown I'm developing an addiction to.”

  Darcy fished her keys from her purse and grabbed her jacket from the back of the folding chair next to her. The brisk April winds weren't as sharp in the city, but they still chilled. “I'll drive.”